Abu 'L-ala Ahmad bin Abdallah al-Ma'arri, SYRIA, Poet;
source: Warraq, Ibn. **Why I Am Not A Muslim** (1995: Prometheus
Books), page 289
notes: Best known simply as "al-Ma'arri". He was born
in 973, and died in 1057.
Here is a relevant quotation about him from the above mentioned
source:

"Another remarkable feature of al-Ma'arri's thought was
the belief that no living creature should be injured or harmed
in any way. He adopted vegetarianism in his thirtieth year and
held in abhorrence all killing of animals, whether for food
or sport. Von Kremer has suggested that al-Ma'arri was influenced
by the Jains of India in his attitude to the sanctity of all
living things. In his poetry, al-Ma'arri firmly advocates abstinence
from meat, fish, milk, eggs, and honey on the ground that it
is an injustice to the animals concerned. Animals are capable
of feeling pain, and it is immoral to inflict unnecessary harm
on our fellow creatures. Even more remarkably, al-Ma'arri protests
against the use of animal skins for clothing, suggests wooden
shoes, and reporaches court ladies for wearing furs. Von Kremer
has justly said that al-Ma'arri was centuries ahead of his time."

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